Judith Phiri, [email protected]
THE Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Dr Anxious Masuka has said the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in Bulawayo is fully prepared to receive and distribute Presidential agricultural inputs to farmers ahead of the 2026/27 summer cropping season.
The preparedness of the GMB would ensure the timely delivery of inputs to farmers, supporting the Government’s efforts to boost agricultural production, enhance food security and improve household livelihoods ahead of the predicted El Niño phenomenon.
In an interview after touring the GMB depot in Bulawayo yesterday, the Minister said there was storage of most inputs ready for distribution.
“We are touring the GMB here in Bulawayo to assess first the state of preparedness to receive and distribute Presidential inputs in this predicted below normal rainfall season.
“Secondly to look at the storage here of the various cereals and we noted that they already have about 300 metric tonnes of basal, 1 500 metric tonnes of top dressing, some sunflower seed and what is awaited are the traditional grain seeds to distribute for summer,” he said.
“They also have from last year and this year intake for cereals amounting to 28 000 metric tonnes of which 5 500 metric tonnes is maize and just over 19 000 metric tonnes is wheat so there should not be a shortage of bread, a shortage of milling in the southern part of the country.”
Dr Masuka said millers that have any shortfall in their positions can come for a swap arrangement with GMB as they have stated in terms of the policy.
He said any miller who is also importing anything or purchasing grain from any other part of the country can just ensure that they notify GMB that they purchased maize in Muzarabani and they do not have to transport it to Bulawayo.
“They will leave it at GMB Muzarabani and pick their product here at GMB in Bulawayo. This is the ease of doing business that the Government has put in place.
“GMB also offers third-party storage, you do not have to build your own silos because the State has put a network of silos including this one so all you need to do is bring your one tonne, half a tonne and GMB stores for you professionally. When you are ready to take that one tonne you can easily do so and the rates are very concessionary,” he added.
The Minister said GMB was there to serve farmers as the supply chain centre for the country, while they also took advantage of the Silo Industries which were put under Mutapa Investment Fund.
He said GMB was now milling for social welfare transferred to them and that was the essence of the visit.
“Generally, very grateful and I’m happy that GMB has taken on this new and expanded role in a manner that they have and we also now look forward to Silo Industries fully being capacitated in terms of working capital so that they can operate at the optimal level.
“They play a very important role in ensuring there is price stabilisation for mealie-meal and ensuring that in the shortage areas we are also able to deploy mealie meal and that we do of course with the support of GMB,” he said.
